


Part Time Lover, Full Time Friend

by enchantella



Category: IT (2017), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Age Development - It's called birthdays, Alternate Universe - Soulmate Marks, Beep Beep Richie, Boys Kissing, Eddie needs a hug, Friends to Lovers, Gazebos Placebos, Georgie Lives, Handholding, Henry Bowers is a jerk, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Implied/Referenced Child Neglect, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Inappropriate Humor, Love, M/M, Mental Illnesses, Not It (2017) Compliant, Pennywise doesn't exist, Period-Typical Homophobia, Reddie, Richie needs a hug, Sonia Kaspbrak's A+ Parenting, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, The Losers are Great Friends, Trashmouth Tozier, inappropriate language, they're family, three-shot
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-18
Updated: 2017-09-18
Packaged: 2018-12-31 03:49:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 795
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12123891
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/enchantella/pseuds/enchantella
Summary: Eddie Kaspbrak was four years old when he learned to read, which of course led to discovering what his soulmark said. On his left forearm the words, "Is that a fucking fanny pack?” were engraved in his skin, with a terribly messy scrawl.





	Part Time Lover, Full Time Friend

**Author's Note:**

> First fic on this site, I had to make it Reddie of course. Soulmate AU idea credit goes to _shadeandadidas_ on Tumblr. :)

For four years, Sonia Kaspbrak dreaded the day that her son would learn to read. After giving birth and cradling his tiny body in her arms, she read the crude words his soulmate would say. So for four years, she sat waiting for the day her son could read and panicked because the thought of someone corrupting her sweet boy sent a chill down her spine.

Eddie Kaspbrak was four years old when he learned to read, which of course led to discovering what his soulmark said. On his right forearm the words, _“Is that a fucking fanny pack?”_ were engraved in his skin, with a terribly messy scrawl. Of course, Eddie didn’t understand what the word, _“fucking”_ meant or what a fanny pack was, but that didn’t stop him from begging his mother and father for one. 

His mother was fearful of purchasing one, the words seemed so disgraceful and abhorrent for a young lady to use, especially to her baby boy. Eddie’s father on the other hand, was different. He encouraged the idea of buying his son what he asked for, and ignored the way Sonia shook her head in discouragement as he handed Eddie the black fanny pack. 

Eddie was filled to the brim with absolute joy as he ran around his house wearing it, he stuffed it with small toys. As the rest of the year went by, young Eddie Kaspbrak kept his fanny pack close and treated it with care in fear of ruining it. Though, times became rough and when he was five, he watched his father suffer through the cancer his body held. After that, his fanny pack no longer held jacks and a marble, instead it held an inhaler and pills given to him by his mother, who feared that the sicknesses of the world would infect the last man in her life and take him away too.

•—•—•—•—•—•—•—•—•—•—•—•—•—•—•—•—•

Richie Tozier discovered his mark at the age of four and a half. Granted, he didn’t understand what half of the words meant but he eventually learned through the magazines his father stashed in a drawer and from the television his mother left on when she was absolutely wasted. His mother didn’t seem to be bothered that her son’s words were sinful and filthy, she was barely sober enough to know what day of the week it was. His father was constantly working and neglectful as to what was going on at home, so he wasn’t any better than his wife.

Richie was a loudmouth when he was in school, but at home he was relatively quiet. He had no one to talk to, dad was working and mom was constantly sleeping off a hangover from the night before. His parents never said anything about the words that laid on his body, they were small and written with a slightly messy handwriting but it looked somewhat neat at the same time, as if the person was trying their best to make it legible.

His mark resided on his ankle and there were times where he would lean down to brush his hand against it whenever he felt lonely. As he grew up, he had uncovered the meaning of a soulmark, so he knew that one day he wouldn’t be lonely because there was someone out there for him, waiting for him. He had someone out there who wanted him, and the mere thought made him smile. Such sad thoughts for someone so young but that’s what happens when you have a life like Richie Tozier.

He never spoke of his mark to his parents after reading it, he attempted to but they didn’t seem to care, so he just left it alone. It was his mark anyway, he didn’t have to share anything about it with anyone other than his soulmate and himself.

One night, when Richie was five years old, he readied himself for bed as normal and laid with his glasses on the bedside table next to him. His hand touched his mark, felt a jolt of energy and he smiled slightly to himself despite his confusion at the jolt.

He left it alone and fell asleep with one thought on his mind; one day he’d find his person and they’d be together happily with no problem or care in the world.

Unknown to him, his soulmate laid in their bed as well thinking about him as well. Little Eddie Kaspbrak touched his arm and felt the same jolt Richie Tozier had, his final thought of the night was that he’d find his soulmate one day and he perhaps he would no longer have to take the medication his mother constantly gave him. Both boys shut their eyes and drifted to sleep, still pondering about the other.

**Author's Note:**

> This is really short yikes, but I'll try to make it longer next time. Kudos and comments encourage me to keep going, besides the love I have for Reddie of course.


End file.
